1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an RFID (radio frequency identifier) tag as well as a carrier tape used for manufacturing the RFID tag and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For an article information management system, an RFID system is recently put to practical use and the RFID system allows a reader/writer and an RFID tag applied to an article to communicate in a noncontact technique utilizing a magnetic field or an electromagnetic field so as to transmit predetermined information.
The RFID tag is manufactured by attaching an RFIC element (an RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) chip itself or a package equipped with an RFIC chip) to an antenna base material provided with an antenna element. Conventionally known methods for connecting the RFIC element and the antenna element include methods for connection by heating and melting of solder, a conductive adhesive, etc. (see JP No. 2009-87068 A and JP No. 2009-129093 A) and methods for connection by ultrasonic bonding (see JP No. 2012-32931 A and JP No. 2013-45780 A). However, in the methods for connection by heating and melting of solder, a conductive adhesive, etc., a connection portion between the RFIC element and the antenna element must be heated to the melting point of solder, a conductive adhesive, etc. or higher. In this case, since the antenna base material is required to have high heat resistance, an inexpensive material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) cannot be used for the antenna base material. In the methods for connection by ultrasonic bonding, a bump must be melted ultrasonically. This case leads to problems such as a long time required for completing the ultrasonic bonding, and changes in quality and shape of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that is the antenna base material at the temperature at which the bump melts. If a low-melting-point conductive adhesive is used, a bonding part is easily broken because of low bonding strength, resulting in degradation in electric characteristics and variations in characteristics.
If the antenna base material has flexibility, it is considered that the RFID tag can be affixed to a member having a curved surface or a member having flexibility. However, the conventional methods for connection as described above may cause a stress to concentrate on a connection portion between the RFID element and the antenna element and the connection portion may be destructed. Therefore, a new method is demanded for connecting an electronic component such as the RFIC element and a connection object such as the antenna element.